Addressing the critical issue of female hygiene and access to clean water is a pressing concern for women and girls in various parts of Africa, including Nigeria. Many spend significant time and effort fetching water from unsafe sources, often facing dangers like violence and health risks along the way. This task, typically assigned to women and girls, detracts from their educational and economic pursuits.
Ensuring easy access to proper sanitation facilities is essential for adolescent girls to stay in school and thrive. Clean and private facilities are crucial for managing menstrual hygiene, allowing girls to maintain their dignity and attend school regularly. Recognizing this challenge, the Nima Memorial Care Foundation organizes an annual Symposium/Grand Ball to advocate for healthy living and access to clean water in Nigeria.

At the 3rd annual symposium in Lagos, Zainab Abdumalik-Mohammed, co-founder of NMCF, highlighted the foundation’s mission to honor her late daughter’s passion for youth welfare, especially concerning clean water and female hygiene. The foundation’s initiatives include providing sanitary towels, hygiene products, and educational support to underprivileged children and youth.

Abdumalik-Mohammed emphasized the importance of sustaining her daughter’s legacy by continuing to offer clean water solutions to communities in need. Through partnerships and borehole projects, NMCF has positively impacted over 300 girls and various communities across Nigeria, focusing on education, hygiene, and support for marginalized groups.

Commenting on the symposium’s theme, ‘Empowering Futures: Clean Water, Hygiene Support for the Girl Child,’ Anthony Kila, director of CIAPS, stressed the government’s role in acknowledging and addressing the hygiene challenges faced by girls. He called for community audits to identify gaps in sanitation infrastructure and advocated for collaborative efforts between government, private entities, and academia to find sustainable solutions.
Kila emphasized the need for collective action to tackle the broader issue of female hygiene and water accessibility, stressing the importance of community engagement and innovative partnerships. By leveraging expertise and resources from various sectors, including academia and local governance, comprehensive solutions can be developed to ensure the well-being and empowerment of girls and women.
In conclusion, initiatives like the NMCF symposium play a vital role in raising awareness and mobilizing support for improving female hygiene and water access in Nigeria. By honoring the legacy of passionate advocates like Abdumalik-Mohammed’s daughter, these efforts contribute to creating a more inclusive and sustainable future for all individuals, particularly vulnerable populations in need of essential resources and support.
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